The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-05-27
miscellaneous.
Saved By His Dog.

1t was an ugly cur, of the kind which you
see in alleys and waste lots. feeding on gar
bage. Wag did not feed on garbage. The
gate keepers wife at the prison was kind
hearted Irish woman. who fed him well.
"Hes none of mine, EUR" she said to the
warden. "He come one duy with the wife of
one of the prisoners, an he crept in with her,
an saw his master just behind the bars, an
here he's stayed ever since. She couldn't get
him away. "He knows Johns here, she says
to me, AN he's waiting for him to come out"
"Hes an i'll, conditioned cur" saidMr Bolts.
"Such dogs ought to be shot. They're no
good to anybody"
'But he plays with the children, Zur."
She did not tell the warden that Wag tried
to creep into the prison whenever the doors
were opened, and howled when kicked out.
But his faithful devotion to the poor wretch
who owned him touched Mrs. Clancy's warm
Irish heart
"'Twas God made the haste. He must have
use for him." she said, rs the warden went
on to the prison.
Johns wife, "a weak little body, wild big
sperrit in her." according to Mrs. Clancy,
little house they owned in Kensington, and
going to an obscure New Jersey village
bought patch of ground, cultivated il, made
home for her husband whom he should come
out.
Nobody knows you here" she wrote. No
body will know of the slip you made. You
can begin afresb. A good carpenter is much
needed, and have all your tools"
1t seemed the best course to her, but il
would have been wiser if she had stayed in
town and kept up her influence over him.
He was in the companionship of thieves and
drunkards worse men than himself II was
easy for them to persuade him that the chance
of decent life was over with him in the
world. Their horizon included only guilt
and misery, and he was living in it with
them.
His term of Imprisonment was for three
years. but on account of his good conduct he
was discharged a few months earlier. Mary,
his wife, did not know this. But his com.
rades in the prison knew it. Two of them,
who were discharged a week earlier, arranged
to meet him as soon as lie came out.
1t was in the evening when he laid off his
convict garb, and resumed the clothes he had
worn outside There was society in the
city for the care of discharged prisoners.
The agent spoke to him few hopeful. kind
words, and gave him ticket to carry him to
the town where Mary lived
you'll find your wife there, and new
home" he said begin new life, with Gods
help"
John walked down the corridor and across
the prison-yard with no hope in his heart
1t was long since he had seen his wife. She
could not love miserable jai-bird! He
would not go to this place where she was
respected to disgrace her He would not
bring a faint on his baby-girl. The men were
waiting for him across the way. He had no
mind to so to stealing, or to any kind of
crime, but few days hard drinking, or
plunge in the river would end it all, and take
him out of everybody's way!
The gate Enclosed. He passed through,
and was free man again. In street not
far away was a brightly lighted drinking
shop. His comrades were there. He stopped,
looked at the ticket in his hand, and then.
crossed the street to join them.
Just at this moment a dog rushed out of
the jail-gate, and jumped on him, barking,
licking his hand, fairly mad with joy.
The poor prisoner stopped, trembling from
head to foot, why, it's Wag " he said otis
poor old Wagr'
With the sight of the dog came back his
home that he had disgraCed and ruined
Mary, and the baby in its cradle. A sick
longing filled his heart to see them again.
otis mig wife-its mig little girl p he
thought. He stood irresoute minute, and
then walked hastily to the station. Come,
Wag we'll go home" he said.
This is true story. John Dash is living
now, an honest citizen, and the old dog still
sleeps on bis hearth. The gate-keeper's wife
was not wrong when she said that God has a
use for all things that He has made. Even a
poor cur may help, with its faithful love, to
save soul alive.